


Aftermaths

by TinyGuest23



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: Angst, Anti-Hero, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Female Relationships, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-06 08:19:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15882201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyGuest23/pseuds/TinyGuest23
Summary: This is the Aftermaths of Season 7 with a Twist. Sparia Romance. With Arlex, Ezria. Hints of Haleb/EmisonWhat if Alex Drake had been in love with Aria? What if Aria was the one to rescue Spencer? What if Spencer realizes she fell in love with her best friend? What if Aria has to choose between her best friend and a girl who was supposed to be the enemy?





	1. Behind this mask

**Author's Note:**

> So, I have published this at fanfiction.net, but I thought I'll give it a try on this site as well! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it. I have written around 30 Chapters for now, which I will post regularly, but the story is not quite over yet.

Summary:  
The real reason why Alex Drake has Spencer and Ezra locked up, is because she fell in love with Aria Montgomery the second she saw her. However, her new plan of replacing Spencer and making Aria love her, might not work out after all. As Aria becomes suspicious of Alex and creates a plan of her own, which surprsingly only leads her to more confusion then ever. She knew she loved Ezra, she knew she had been attracted to Spencer since they met, but she never would've thougth fallen for the one girl that had made their lives a living hell was even possible.

 

Chapter 1: Behind this mask.

Seconds passed as she starred wordlessly at the figure in front of her.  
„Boo!", the girl in front of her laughed out and Spencer stumbled back in shock. Panic rose inside her and she needed a few seconds to process what was happening.

The next minutes passed her in a wave of trance. Alex. Alex Drake. AD. She had left kindergarten early. She had skipped sixth grade in middle school. She had been valedictorian in high school and she had studied law in freaking Washington DC but she couldn't wrap her head around what was happening around her. All of the sudden this girl across from her that looked like Spencer had just cloned herself; this girl with her almost annoying british accent and her witty comments; this girl felt so strange and so familiar to her at the same time.

Spencer blinked a few times. Processing everything Alex had said.  
Mary Drake had had a second child. She was raised in London by a wealthy family, given up on because she was having problems early in her childhood and probably bringing shame to her parents, moved to a foster home and started her lonely life after that. She had met Wren at a bar and from then things had moved fast. He was the one who had introduced her to Charlotte, her, their sister. She had wondered about her, about Spencer. But Charlotte never wanted them to cross paths. Spencer couldn't really understand why but maybe Charlotte wanted Alex to herself. In a way she had Ali then, so Alex was all she got. Spencer could understand that in a way. Even it was twisted. Alex told Spencer how Wren and her fell in love, how Charlotte met Dunhill, how the four of them would be the best of friends. That was until Charlotte wanted more. 

She wanted to start the game again, the A-game. So she left for Rosewood, despite Alex's pleads to stay or to let her come with her – apparently that was the last time Alex had seen her, shortly before Mona had accidently killed her in the bell tower. It sounded tragic almost, out of one of those creepy novels that Spencer read from time to time. Surreal. Alex wanted to honour Charlotte, to continue what she had started and it seemed that she didn't stop at any point. Until she got to know more about Spencer and her life – and how perfect it all seemed. That is when she knew what she wanted – she wanted to be her – she wanted to life that „perfect" life herself. Killing Wren in the process, was necassary, she said. He was a burden, who tried to stop her plan, to stop her from getting what she wanted – Spencer's identity and life. Now he was a sparkling diamond, dangling just beneath his killer's neck.

„Is that what you wanted?", Spencer asked carefully, still processing. „Revenge?"

„You don't get it, love, do you?", her British accent confusing Spencer even more. 

„You were the lucky one. You've got friends who would murder for you. You've got family. You've got that lad Toby who loves you unconditionally even though his fiancée just died a year ago! You were lucky, Spencer. And it is only fair to share that luck with your sister, don't you think so?"

„What are you planning?"

„Attending a wedding, if there will be a wedding that is..." She smirked amused and let out a little laugh, while moving around the cold room like she was thinking.

„What do you mean by that?" Spencer knew she would only anger that copy of herself if she would be too provocative. She was better off being careful. A part of her was still afraid she would end up like Wren.

„It was supposed to be a surprise, but whatever." She got up from the chair, kicking it into the wall in the process, and Spencer flinched for a moment, earning an amused laugh from Alex.

She proceeded to the entrance of the room, locking the heavy slide doors after leaving Spencer's improvised cell. Then, she fiddled with what looked like a control pad until the grey shutter on the wall across Spencer's cell rose, revealing none other than Ezra Fitz!  
Spencer gasped, sitting up in less than a second, and then flinching again when the cold metal around her ankle hold her in place.

„You kidnapped Ezra?!", she shouted in anger and briefly made eye contact with her best friend's future husband and friend, sending him a small smile of comfort and compassion. He did not belong here. It wasn't any of his buisness to be here. But she had to admit that a small part of her felt relieved that she wasn't alone in this.

„Leave him out of this!", she demanded, when Spencer had finally found her voice again. „He does not have anything to do with this! Please. Just let him go."

„He is kind of in the way of things, sorry, love." 

Alex shrugged her shoulders and send Ezra a fake smile, before she turned to Spencer again. 

„Show over. Say goodbye.", she muttered and Ezra's and Spencer's eyes widened before Alex pressed some buttons again and the shutter began to close.

„No, please! I'm getting married today! Don't do this! Let me out of here!" Ezra's desperate cries filled Spencer's ears but they were soon met with silence when the shutter closed fully.

„Why is he here?" She sensed that Alex didn't want to reveal that information in front of Ezra, and Spencer could only guess why that was.

„Well, one – he was too dangerous, too close to figuring it all out. And second..." Alex stopped then, smiling at Spencer and reentering her cell, before plopping down on the chair which she picked up in one move and positioned it in front of Spencer's bed.

„You have lovely friends.", she smiled, thinking of one particular short girl with brown hair and that cute little smile she wore on her face.

„What?", Spencer couldn't quite figure out, what Alex was implying. It seemed that her interlectual brain was mashed and nothing made sense anymore.

„My little helper. She is gorgeous! Too bad there is this fiancé that keeps blocking my way."

„Aria? You're into Aria?", Spencer let out, feeling something tighten in her chest, afraid that this monster would end up hurting her little friend.

„I don't know why you look so schocked! You two looked close.."

„She is my best friend! Of course, we're close! God, I swear – you touch a hair on her head and you're dead meat! Leave her out of this! Leave Ezra out of this! You got me, but don't touch my friends! They don't deserve it! Any of it."

„If it wasn't for Aria being such a cutie, she would be right in this gutter with you! I did everything to have her on my side of this game! She is too loyal to all of you! You should've seen her face when I wanted her to plant that recording into your house! She seems to like you."

„Is that what this is about? You being jealous of her turning away from you? You must be sick if you ever thought Aria would volountaryily betray her friends like that! She was scared. She wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for keeping Ezra out of jail."  
„She chose him over you, then. Sweet."

Spencer looked at Alex for a moment. Thinking about what she had just said. Aria did chose him over her, over them. But wouldn't she do the same if Toby was involved? She already had. A few years ago. But somehow it still hurt to be bascially told that their long time, fundamental friendship wasn't as important as her love to Ezra. Ezra. The one person who had betrayed her the most, while Spencer was by her side picking up the pieces, and giving Aria the comfort she so desperately was looking for. It hurt. It stung. And she hated Alex for making her feel that way.

"Please don't hurt her.", Spencer winced and Alex stood up and chuckled, moving to the door, before turning around.

"No worries. I won't. We're gonna be good together. Promise"

And before Spencer could comment on that, her door had been shut, and the shutter came crushing down, surrounding her in emptiness, and left with her thoughts.

...

Aria was curled up into a ball on the small couch in her dressing room, her friends huddling around her with worried glances.

"I am sure he is coming", Emily tried to give her lost friend some compassion, but even she, the most optimistic one of their group was slowly losing hope.

"Did you try calling him again?" Aria looked up to her best friend, and nodded sadly at Spencer, who approached her slowly and sat down next to her, placing a comforting hand on her knee and trying to comfort her.

The only thing that kept Aria from breaking fully, were her friends being right next to her, never leaving her side. She was blessed with such pure friendship that she almost smiled at the thought of them always being there for her, after everything they have been through, after everything she had done.

...

Hours passed and Aria was now tucked up in bed, lying next to a sleeping Hanna whose soft breathing was almost lulling her into her own dreams. But every time she tried to close her eyes images of Ezra and his whereabouts plagued her to the point that she couldn't help but to open them again. 

When she tried to close them again, she was confused when she felt the mattress sink a little deeper. She kept her eyes closed. Thinking, hoping, wishing that maybe it was Ezra who had come back to her. She was going crazy and she hoped he couldn't hear her rapid heartbeat. 

She sensed a feather touch on her face, when she felt someone brushing a stray of hair, tucking it softly behind her ear. Maybe it was her desperation, but in that moment, even though she knew Ezra's touch by heart, she let herself believe it was him. That was until the person next to her spoke the next words: "I think that you and I are gonna be the closest of all."

Aria held her breath. Her voice sounded familiar. It sounded like.. Spencer? But why would Spencer say that? Of course they were Team Sparia, but that whispering? Maybe she was losing her mind? Maybe she had imagined it?

She laid still a few more seconds, until she pretended to wake up slowly. Adjusting her eyes in the darkness, she almost shrieked at how close the other body laid next to her, their faces almost touching. And yet, she found comfort in the way Spencer laid next to her. 

It was her. She could make out her face in the dark and could hear her breathing slowly. Was she already asleep?

"Spence?" Aria whispered, unsure if she would get an answer.

Spencer's eyes opened slowly and her lips turned into a smile when she connected eyes with hers.

"Hey. I am sorry, I just came over here. I didn't want to wake you. Hope it's okay."

"Of course.", she smiled because what else would she say?

"Still no word from Ezra?" Aria sighed when she heard his name. "No. Nothing. I don't know if I should be worried or angry, you know? I am so confused. Why would he leave me?" She knew tears were probably starting to fall every second, but this time she didn't care less. Spencer was her best friend. She knew her in and out. It was pointless to hide anything from her anyway. That's when she remembered her friend's cryptic words.

"Spence? What did you mean when you said we two are gonna be the closest of all?" She asked and raised an eyebrow, even though Spencer couldn't probably see it.

Spencer seemed to be a little startled by that question and Aria wondered why that was. Maybe she was losing it, too?

"I just think that you and I have been going through it all, you know. And I couldn't imagine not being there for you, that's all. Hanna has all these problems with Mona and her trying to get pregnant, and Emily and Alison are busy with the girls, so I guess I just wanted you to know that I am gonna be there for you. No matter what."

Aria smiled then. And it was the first genuine smile since before all this wedding chaos happened.  
"Thank you.", Aria whispered and searched Spencer's hand in the dark, intervening their fingers and squeezing it softly.

"I don't know what I would do without you. Thank god you forgave me. You and the girls mean so much to me. I honestly don't think I would make it if you weren't here with me."

"You don't ever have to worry about that, Aria. We love you. I am not gonna abandon you. I am not going anywhere."  
Arms wrapped around Aria's tiny frame and Spencer kissed her forehead. Pressing her head into the curve of Spencer's neck, feeling her best friend run a hand through her hair, she finally fell asleep.

..  
.  
Alex carefully untangled herself from Aria, getting out of bed and moving to the door, but not before looking at Aria once more. She truly was beautiful. And after tonight, even though Aria had her startled for a moment, she was sure there was a realistic chance of Aria being able to see her as more than a friend. She just had to get rid of Ezra and make sure he wasn't ever going to come back. She would be there for Aria. Drying her tears and making her forget. Making her love her and they would live happily ever after. And maybe then, she could finally have the family she so desperately longed for.

An hour later, Alex was at her place again. Going down the stairs to her underground world. She would have preferred to stay in bed with Aria, but she couldn't risk leaving those two dickheads alone. Who would know what they could come up with.

"Morning, sunshine.", she lets out when she reachers Spencer's cell. "Did you sleep alright, darling?", she said in a mocked tone and Spencer glared at her, clearly unable to come up with a witty response.

"You never told me how beautiful your friend looks when she is sleeping. If I didn't know it was Aria, I might have thought it was a little angel."

"You visited Aria when she was sleeping?!" Spencer's eyes widened and Alex couldn't hold back a little chuckle.

"Of course. I almost blew it, though! Shame on me! I will have to be more careful, then."

"She is gonna find out that you're just a cheap copy. She knows me. She knows me better than I know myself."

"Well, I'm sure you're surprised then that she let me comfort her and hug her until the cute thing fell asleep."  
"I told you not to touch her! You're disgusting!"

"I am you, Spencer. Deal with it. It's over. I will let you live, cause you're family but this is your new home, you better make yourself comfortable."

"And Ezra?"

"I still don't know what to do with him. I thought about killing him and sending Aria a nice photo, but I know this would just break her heart and I honestly do not know if I could stand that or if she would really be open to something new after that, so I might keep him in here a little while and have him tell Aria himself that she shouldn't hope for a comeback."

"So what? You're gonna keep us here and try to what? Make her love you? Ezra is the only guy Aria has ever truly loved. She wouldn't settle for anyone else, believe me. This is a lost cause."

"The thing you're not thinking of, honey, is that Aria has never been in love with another "guy" - she might try something different."  
Alex noticed the wave of shock that crossed Spencer's face. She could only imagine what was going through her twin sister's mind.  
She would find a way for Aria to fall in love with her. She hadn't went through all of this, hadn't spent all this money for nothing. After all - what could be more romantic than going from best friends to lovers? Aria was a few for romantic novels. Alex was sure if she played her cards right, it wouldn't be long until she had her family.


	2. Restless & Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here are Chapters 2 and 3 of Aftermaths. Enjoy!

Spencer looked up to the blank ceiling. How many days had passed? Three? Four? She lost track of time, and somehow she was brought back to the time she and her friends spent in the Dollhouse, even though she had to admit, that at least this felt more like a prison than a torture place.

She still didn't know what felt more surreal. Her having an evil twin and being locked up somewhere underground with Ezra Fitz or her evil twin having feelings for one of her closest friends. She seriously wondered if Aria could ever find Alex attractive, well basically she wondered if Aria could ever find her attractive. She didn't know why she spent so much time thinking about this. Aria would never love anyone besides Ezra. He was the one. And Spencer would do anything in her power to bring him out alive, she would do anything for Aria.

„Hello again, sister." Her voice was like a knife twisting into Spencer's ears.

„I just wanted to stop by, and have a little talk with our male guest here." Alex winked over to Ezra, whose head turned into her direction.

„I have some work for you to do.", Alex smiled and Spencer could only guess what she wanted Ezra to do. She desperately hoped Aria wouldn't believe his words and would still try to figure out what was going on.

"If you want me to tell Aria to stop hoping for me to come back, forget it!" Ezra seemed determined, but Spencer had a feeling crossing Alex would be impossible.

"It's your choice, really. I could always turn Aria into a nice little diamond, too. What do you think? I think I would like to have a ring...that way she would always be with me, till death do us apart. Actually, I never thought of this before. I like this plan." Alex scratched her head then for a moment and pulled out her little control pad again, pressing some buttons. Spencer could here a door being opened, but her position wouldn't allow her to see anything. It was only when Alex came back into sight with a shiny revolver that Spencer's face lost all color and she panicked.

"Don't touch her!", Spencer cried out and banged on to the wall, for Alex to notice her. She softened then, knowing that the only thing that could really work is try some psychological skills she had picked up from her parents working as lawyers. Think of something, Spencer, she told her herself. Give her a reason she cannot kill Aria. Fast. "Don't kill her!", she cried out and Alex turned to her, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Why is that?"

"I mean, if you kill her, you'll never know the kind of amazing kisser she is, you'll never be able to touch her soft lips, hear her adorable little moan or feel her delicate fingers touch your skin."

Spencer wasn't surprised when she saw Ezra looking shocked, like he had just seen a ghost. To be honest, Spencer wasn't really planning to say that at all. The words just came out without any warning, and she couldn't control herself.  
Alex looked closely at Spencer, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. "How would you know?", she asked, and Spencer might have spotted a tone of jealousy in her voice.

"Spencer?" That was Ezra. She still wouldn't meet his eyes, though. All she could think of now, was saving Aria from turning into ashes. She had to convince Alex that Aria was worth it, even though she felt sick thinking of Alex and her best friend being together.

"It was at a party.", Spencer specified. "We were...a little drunk. It was during one of those college parties. She came to visit me in Washington and we went to some dorm party and got pretty wasted. I was missing Toby, and Aria was still thinking of Ezra, and then all of the sudden we are playing truth or dare and there is this one guy who thinks he is the funniest of all and dares us to kiss. So we did."

"That's it?", Alex suspiciously asked. "Aria moaned in front of everyone at a party?"  
Spencer blushed then. She and Aria had promised to never bring up that night again. It was so long ago, but now it was something Spencer thought about more often than she would like to.

"She stayed at my place that night." That was all Spencer was going to give away. They didn't need to know what happened that night. That night was reserved for her and Aria only.

"Did you sleep with her?" It surprised Spencer that it was actually Ezra's shocked voice that filled the room and not Alex's.

"No! Of course not!" Like she said. She wouldn't give them more information about that night, weather it was true or not.

….

As Alex looked up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. Alex couldn't get Aria out of her head, not since Spencer had explained how they had kissed. She felt jealously rise inside her at the thought of anyone else touching her. She didn't know where those feelings came from. Even with Wren it had never felt like this.

"What are you thinking about, Spence?" Aria brought her out of her thoughts. A week had passed since Ezra had "left" Aria at the alter and Alex had refused to let Aria stay on her own, insisting that she needed to be there for her best friend.

"Do you still hope for Ezra to come home?", she asked and Aria turned her head away, clearly not liking the direction in which this conversation was going to.

"Sometimes.", she finally admitted, and it almost broke Alex's heart to see her this upset. Almost.

"I just wish I got an explanation, you know? It's not like Ezra to just leave town without a word."

Maybe she should have tried harder to get Ezra to call Aria, Alex thought. She would try again in the morning when it was time to feed them.

"You know, I am never going to leave you, you know?", she said and Aria nodded.

"Come here." She longed to touch her again and when Aria was finally back in her arms, she couldn't help but grin. Softly she stroked the shorter girls hair, lulling Aria into her.

"I love you, Aria.", she spoke softly and when she didn't receive a response she grew worried, only to find Aria soundly asleep in her embrace. She could definitely get used to this.

"Sleep tight, love. I feel like this is the start of something beautiful."

…

Aria stirred in her sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes, and found herself in the arms of her best friend. She was more than glad that she had Spencer to help her through this, and she couldn't thank her more for being there for her and making sure she was not losing it.

She felt Spencer move. Her hand reaching up to hold Aria's and she wondered what her friend was dreaming about. Seeing her breathing in and out, faster than usual, she tightened her grip on her friend's hand, afraid she might be having some of those nightmares that had started way back, when they all had escaped the dollhouse. "I'm here, Spence.", she whispered. "I'm here." She trailed a finger over her hand then, making small circles in order to calm down the sleeping girl beside her. "Alex.", she heard Spencer whisper then and Aria squeezed her eyes for a moment, trying to think of why Spencer would say her ex-boyfriend's name from years ago. "It's Alex, Aria.", she heard her say and Aria tried to make sense of the mumbling that could be heard in the quite room. Alex? Who was Alex? And what did he do that Spencer felt the need to tell her? Was Alex someone who had hurt her? Was that why she seemed so troubled? Tiredness overtook Aria, as she tried to figure out who this Alex guy was and what he had possible done to Spencer. Realizing she wouldn't get any more answers that night and not wanting to wake Spencer, she made a self notice to ask Spencer in the morning and drew her in closer to her, hoping to calm down her best friend, before falling into a deep sleep herself.

…

When Aria woke up later that day, she was surprised when she saw the empty space beside her. It was only seven in the morning, and while Spencer was definitely a morning person, Aria still thought it was weird that she had left so early. There went the plan to ask her about this Alex guy, she thought. Even though she promised Spencer, she would stop looking something told her to keep trying to figure out where Ezra went to. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right. Caleb had tracked Ezra's credit cards, and he hadn't used them at all and his car was still parked at the Radley. It seemed like Ezra had just vanished in front of her without so much as a trace or explanation and Aria wouldn't accept it. She couldn't. Her heart still longed for him, even though she was reminded by Spencer everyday that he wasn't worth. She just couldn't help it.  
She checked her phone and when she saw that the only new messages she got were from Emily and Hanna checking on her, she sighed and placed it back down on the kitchen counter and went to prepare herself something to eat.

…

"You have to be convincing, though.", Alex demanded and handed a phone over to Ezra, whose legs and left hand were tied up to a chair. Alex was done playing games.

She needed Aria to believe that Ezra wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore. She had finally convinced Ezra to send Aria a message, well more like threatened him, but for Alex it was the same thing. First, she had threatened to kill Ezra, pointing her gun directly to his forehead, when Spencer had shouted out to Ezra that Aria couldn't lose him and that she wouldn't want him to die. She brought up the time when Ezra stood in front of the girls, sacrificing himself on that roof and what that had done to Aria. Ezra hesitated then, but Alex could tell how hard it was to agree to Alex's terms, so Alex had slowly walked into Spencer's cell then, pointing the gun to her head instead and grinning to Ezra. "I know I said she was family, but could you live with the guilt of being responsible for Aria's best friend to be killed off?" Alex noticed how scared Spencer looked in that moment and something must have snapped inside Ezra because he hung his head in defeat and asked for a phone. In the corner of her eyes, Alex could see how Spencer let out a sigh of relief.

"What do I say?", Ezra asked, sounding astonishing professional and Alex couldn't help but feel a little bit proud.

"Tell her that you left the country. That you couldn't face her after she kept that secret of her not being able to have kids. That you thought about it and that the idea of having your own children is just too important to you, and you didn't know how to leave her." Alex's mind wandered briefly, when she tried to imagine Aria listening to Ezra tell her these exact words. In the back of her mind, she hoped for Aria to call her, so she could go over and make sure she was okay. She did care. Maybe she cared a little too much.  
From across the room she could make out Spencer shaking her head and what seemed like whipping away a few tears.

"Are you seriously crying over this?" Alex asked sarcastically and let out a laugh.

"You don't know her. You don't know Aria. She is not just gonna be upset, she is gonna be devastated. I know Aria. She isn't going to just listen to these words and move on."

"What are you saying?"

"I just hope she won't hurt herself, that's all." Spencer's words were mumbled and Alex knew Spencer let out these words rather to herself than responding to her question. Alex looked conflicted. She did love Aria. And the thought that she would -

"Let me just tell her that I need time.", Ezra interrupted her thoughts and Alex turned to him, letting him continue. "I know this is not what you want, but I know you care about Aria, so please."

Alex let out a frustrated scream. "Shut up! Shut the fuck up! Both of you! Bloody hell!", she cried, wiggling around the gun that was still shaking in her hand. After what seemed like minutes, she finally turned to Ezra. "Just do it! Just tell her you're not coming home."

Ezra nodded, clearly shaking, before dialing Aria's phone number and holding it to his ear.

"I want to hear her voice.", Alex said. "Put her on speaker. Now." She was becoming tired of this whole shit. Sometimes she thought it would be better to just kill them off like she did with Wren.

"Hello?", a soft voice answered after a few rings and Aria's voiced filled the room. For a moment the cold room filled with silence.

...

A while after Alex had left their "dungeon", Spencer was left with her own thoughts again. Aria's whimpering was memorized in her mind and she felt like she was the one to blame for all the heartbreak her tiny friend went through. She wished she could find a way out and save Aria from Alex's twisted games.   
She desperately hoped that she, or Hanna, Emily or Alison would pick up on the fact that it wasn't really her that sat next to them when they would go out for a drink. She missed her friends, she missed her mum and she missed Toby, too. She had become so   
worried about Aria that he barely entered her mind, but she was glad he was safe. She didn't really know what he was up to though. 

Wouldn't Toby try to talk to her? Why had Alex never mentioned him? She decided to ask Alex when she came back, unsure if she would even get an answer. Truth be told, Spencer's main focus was still on Aria. Her words and cries haunted her and there was no way she would fall asleep. "Please, Ezra. Don't do this. I know we can make this work. Please" Her words repeatedly went through her head, like an old broken record. Seeing Ezra suffer and Alex smiling wickedly, didn't help much.

"Aria.", she let out a whisper into the dark, as if she could her. "Please find us. Please."

…

She didn't call anyone because she wanted to be alone. She thought about calling Spencer, but it would just confirm that she was right and she couldn't handle this right now. She knew Spencer would want to help her in a situation like this, but she didn't want to talk about any of it. She wanted to pretend that that phone call never happened. Was it just the day before that she had told Spencer she just wanted an explanation? And now that she got one? Did she feel relieved, better even? The answer was a fucking clear: Hell no.

A loud knock on the door interrupted her train of thoughts. She didn't move at first. Not wanting company, but when the knocking continued, she slowly got out of bed and looked through the peephole. She saw Hanna standing outside, a sports bag around her shoulder and she seemed like she had been crying. God, now she had no choice but to open up, Aria thought.

"Hanna?", Aria questioned when she opened up the door, and her blonde friend sniffled in response, entering the apartment without much as an invitation.

"Can I stay here tonight?", she whispered and Aria caught up on her tear strained face.

"Of course!" Her walls and anger diminishing slowly at the sight of her and she stepped forward to hug her close.

"What happened?", Aria dared to ask, when she leaned back and Hanna shook her head.

"Can I tell you when we're tucked up in bed?", she let out and Aria nodded, helping her change through her sobs and tucking her up into her bed like a child. She got under the covers herself and brought her close.

"What happened?", Aria asked again. Somehow this helped. Taking care of Hanna made her forget the terrible day she had herself – and she finally felt like she wasn't useless anymore.

"Caleb and I we...", she stopped, tears continuing to stream down her face and Aria kindly wiped some of them away.

"Hey, you can tell me when you're ready, alright? No rush." Her friends have been there for her through it all. It was time that she did the same.

"I'm sorry I bothered you, Aria. I know you're dealing with your own stuff, but Emily and Alison have this date night planned and Spencer didn't pick up, so I..."

"You can always call me.", Aria interrupted and smiled at Hanna.

"Thank you.", the blonde spoke and leaned closer to Aria.

"Caleb and I are trying to get pregnant."

The words hang in the air for a moment, and it was almost like someone had punched all the air out of Aria's lungs.  
Seeing the look on Aria's face, Hanna was probably feeling guilty, because she apologized immediately.

"God, Aria! I'm so sorry, I - "

"It's okay, Han.", she whispered and tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Continue."

"The whole thing with Mona is just driving him mad and now this whole pregnancy thing is just exhausting. We fight all the time. I   
needed to get out of there, and I didn't want to kick him out because I don't know where he could go, so I came here. I should have called."

"No.", Aria was glad Hanna was there with her. She might not have called any of her friends, but somehow she was glad that she didn't had to spend the night alone. Her mind wandered to Spencer. She wondered why she hadn't texted or called her. She was so insistent to stay at her apartment and look after her that Aria almost felt disappointed how quickly Spencer had forgotten about her. She wondered if she was with Toby, but even then she could've texted her, right? The whole day just took out every energy she had.

"Should we try to get some sleep? You can stay here as long as you want, but let's get some rest and we'll talk tomorrow ok?", even though Aria knew that sleep was hard to come, she was too exhausted to keep this conversation going.

"Okay. Thank you, Aria. Good night."

"Good night, Han. Everything is going to work out for you, I promise." Because as much as Aria wanted herself to be happy, her friends being happy was just as important to her, if not more.

…

Alex tiptoed through the dark, careful not to trip over. When she reached Aria's bedroom, she hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she would find behind those doors. She could still hear Aria screaming and her cries seemed to never end. She had been crying for Ezra to come back, pleading with him to work on their relationship and by the look on Ezra's face, he almost gave him. However, ultimately he went through with Alex's plan and that might just saved him his life.  
Still, Alex couldn't help but feel nervous when she thought of Aria. She hoped that she was at least breathing.

The door cracked softly, not to loud to wake her though, but it was too dark for Alex to see Aria. She approached her bed quietly and looked confused when she found arms draped around Aria's waist and a blonde head leaning onto her shoulder. It looked like Hanna. A pang of jealousy went through her and she kind of wanted to stab the blonde bitch next to Aria. What was she doing here?, she asked herself. Had Aria called her after what happened with Ezra? Why would Aria call Hanna? Alex thought Spencer and Aria were the closest, and after the night before, she was sure she had a special connection to the girl. She stood there confused, eyes focused on Hanna, when suddenly she heard her sister's name.

"Spencer?" Shit. Alex thought. Aria must have woken up and now all Alex could do was stand there dumfounded for a moment   
before she came up with an explanation.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to check on you. I forgot my phone at the Lost Woods when I checked on the horses and I was quite busy, but I didn't want you to stay here alone." She hoped Aria would buy that but when saw Aria nodding she knew she had.

She looked at Aria carefully detangling herself from Hanna, and standing up beside her.

"Let's talk in the living room. I don't want to wake Hanna.", she whispered and Alex nodded.

"Everything okay?", Alex asked, still very confused why Hanna was at Aria's apartment.

"Hanna had a fight with Caleb. She said she called, but you didn't pick up. Makes sense if your phone was at the Lost Woods."

Alex almost chuckled at how well her story had played out and just nodded her headed.

"Oh. So, how are you holding up then?", she wondered if Aria was going to tell her about the phone call with Aria. Had she told   
Hanna?

"I – not good." Aria turned away from her again and she didn't like it.

"I'm sorry.", Alex tried, hoping she wouldn't have to dig further into the matter and that Aria would just tell her what happened   
tonight.

The girls sat in silence for a moment, before Alex was surprised to hear Aria's voice fill the room.

"Can I ask you something, Spence?" Alex nodded, uncertain and a little nervous about what was to come.

"When you stayed over, last night, you, you said something in your sleep." Alex's eyes grew wide. What had she said? Did Aria know?   
No, she wouldn't call her Spencer if she knew, right? Right?

"What did I say?", she didn't even care if she sounded confused at that point, she just hoped she could still pull off the American accent.

"You said something about an Alex? Like, "Aria, it's Alex", and I just wanted to know who it was because obviously you were scared and I think you were having some nightmare. Do you remember your dream? Or can you tell me who this Alex guy is?"

If it wasn't for Alex to sit on Aria's couch she was sure she would've fainted. How could she have slipped that during her sleep? Thank god, Aria assumed it was about some boy.

"I honestly don't know, Aria.", she tried. "I think this whole week has made my mind go crazy, too." She chuckled then, trying to get Aria to change the subject.

"Yeah, mine, too.", Aria let out. "Should we go back to bed? I'm pretty tired."

No! She wanted to shout. You still haven't told me about that phone call! But she couldn't add more damage to the situation. She knew this whole Alex thing was confusing enough. So Alex nodded and the two of them made their way to the bed and got in. Alex was still afraid she would say something in her sleep, but maybe she could just wait until Aria was deep asleep and then leave. She let out a sigh, and then noticed that Aria had turned to face Hanna though and Alex couldn't stand it anymore. She waited until she heard Aria's breathing pattern found a rhythm, and turned the sleeping girl into her, kissing her head and observing her while she breathed in and out.

…

Aria tried to stay still. She felt Spencer's arms tighten around her and lips pressed onto her forehead. It wasn't so much the gesture that startled her, but rather the way Spencer's hands seemed to press into her body. She and Spencer had always been close and sleeping in the same bed was never a problem. When one of them was having a hard day it was also normal for them to hold each other until the early hours, if they didn't fall asleep before that. However, somehow this felt different. 

The way Spencer's lips had moved on her skin, the way Spencer's arms hold her, was more demanding than ever. Almost like she tried to claim her. Maybe her mind did play tricks on her, Aria thought. She probably interpreted too much into all of it. However, she knew she couldn't get to sleep like this, so she hoped Spencer had already fallen asleep and reached for one of Spencer's hand that pressed into her thigh and removed it softly from her body. She felt relieved when she didn't feel her stir. However, the hand she was holding curled into her almost immediately and Spencer's fingers laced with Aria's. 

"Spencer?", Aria whispered, feeling a little uncomfortable, but not wanting to push away her friend. Nothing. "Spence?", she tried again, but she didn't receive an answer. Was she pretending to be asleep, too? She turned to Hanna slowly, but she was still asleep.  
Aria let out a soft sigh. She didn't know why Spencer felt the need to be so clingy, but if that was what she needed, she couldn't help but be that for her. Someone to cling to. Aria felt a little guilty for not telling Spencer about Ezra, but she just needed time to process things on her own, she knew she would understand sooner or later.

When she felt Spencer move in her sleep, she traced Spencer's hand again to calm her down. Her fingers moving over Spencer's soft skin. Her skin was smooth and she could easily trace out her – Scar? But she couldn't. Why couldn't she feel the tiny scar that went just between her thumb and index finger? She took a deep breath. Running her fingers over Spencer's hand again, checking nervously if it was in fact her left hand she was touching. 

She moved her fingers, again, and again. But she couldn't feel the freaking scar Spencer got when they were just thirteen years old. When Alison convinced Spencer to try and pet Miss Harper's dog and in turn he had almost bitten off her hand. Aria laid in silence, not sure if she had lost her mind or the ability to feel with her fingers.

She had held her hands the night before, right? Did she come across a scar? She couldn't remember. She just couldn't remember. She was too deep into thinking about Ezra's whereabouts and now that she somehow got an explanation, she felt relieved, still heartbroken but relived – is that why she noticed the missing scar? Her mind was racing. Her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear the pounding in her head, too, silently hoping the girls next to her wouldn't notice.

Hours passed, or was it just minutes? Either way, Aria couldn't find sleep. Her racing mind was trying to stick the pieces together. After a life full of secrets, and torture, fear and A-Games, of locked boxes and Dollhouses, Aria didn't take any chances anymore. She knew the girl next to her not being real was as much a possibility as Noel Kahn's head rolling on some wooden floor. And guess what? Noel's head did roll. Aria felt movement beside her, and suddenly the girl next to her left her side and tiptoed slowly out of her bedroom. Where was she going? Should Aria go up and follow her? Should she confront her? Was there still a chance that it was Spencer? Hand her scar just healed over the course of the last year and Aria had never noticed? And if it really wasn't Spencer – Who the hell had just slept in her bed?


	3. Whispering Scars & Fire and Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 and 4 of Aftermaths. Enjoy.

The morning sun rose slowly, but Aria had not managed to sleep at all. She saw Hanna moving and was sure she would wake up any minute. Should she tell her about her suspicion? She figured it would be better to keep it for herself at the moment. She didn't know anything yet and the last hing she wanted was to bring her friends into some sort of danger. She needed to figure out if it was Spencer that paid her those nightly visits but at the same time she hoped she could do so without giving away that she knew something was off.

“Morning.” Hanna's eyes squinted because of the bright light and Aria tried to give her a smile.

“Hey, you. Feeling better?” Hanna nodded, leaving the bed in one move and turned to Aria, while changing into her normal clothes.

“Yeah. Thanks for letting me stay, but I think I will have to face the madness at some point.”

Aria chuckled lightly. “All right. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Will do.” Hanna smiled and gave her a small wave, while Aria stayed motionless in bed, starring at the ceiling and thinking about what she should do next.

…

Spencer could tell Alex was pissed. The way the English girl moved and aggressively threw their plates with some slices of bred to her and Ezra gave it away. She thought about asking what was wrong. Somehow Spencer had given up on the fact that she would be out there soon. She was slowly losing hope that her friends and family would find out about Alex. She wished Aria would, but as the days passed she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

“Have you spoken to Toby?”, she finally asked, she needed some answers and what was the point anyway? Spencer figured it couldn't really go worse than this.

“I don't give a fuck about Toby.”, Alex ranted out and Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Did you talk to Aria last night?”, she asked then, feeling like she was pushing Alex's buttons but she wanted to know if her friend was at least physically okay.

“I spent the night with her again. I think she likes my hands. She couldn't stop touching them last night.”, she grinned, but Spencer could sense a cold behind her shining eyes. Had Aria noticed something? Had she said something? What did she mean by Aria touching her?!

“How is she holding up, with Ezra?” Spencer glanced over to Ezra's cell. His shutter was down again, so he couldn't hear them and Spencer wondered if she could bring Alex to talk.

“Doing great. She didn't even talk about him.”, Alex smiled widely again and Spencer furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, before nodding. She looked down on her slices of bread, picked one and took a bite. Even though she hated this place, she didn't want to starve to death. Spencer found it weird that Aria hadn't talked with Alex about it. It seemed off for Aria to not tell Spencer, but maybe she was just trying to deal with things on her own. She tried to think about what Alex had said. Why would she say Aria liked her hands? She looked down at her own hands for a moment, feeling Alex's eyes on her, when suddenly something inside of her snapped. She tried not to give away any emotion and stopped looking at her hands, picking up another slice of bread, waiting until Alex was out of sight.

…

After feeding the inmates, Alex went up to the house and let out a frustrated sigh. She needed to talk with Aria. Everything was starting to get so much harder and more confusing. She had to make sure Aria didn't suspect a thing. And she needed to talk to her about Ezra. It was time for Aria to move on. It was time for them to move on. Together.

Hey, sorry I left last night. Emergency at the Lost Woods...Can I come over? I will bring lunch. – S

She pressed send and hoped for Aria to answer soon. She was excited to spend time with her.  
Alex was obsessed with her and she felt a pull towards her that seemed to be out of this world. Never had she imagined feeling so drawn to someone and if she was honest with herself she was scared. The whole thing started off with going after Spencer and her friends for revenge, never had she pictured herself falling for one of them. But since she got Aria to work for her – she chose her back then because Cece had told her she was the closest to Spencer – she was fascinated by her. She was not only captivated by her beauty, but by her whole appearance and her strength. She loved strong women. Bloody hell, she was one herself.

Can we meet at the Brew? I'm in town. - Aria

Alex smiled. Of course she would have preferred to go to Aria's house and try to make a move, but she was still joyful to see her. She was the one thing that was making her smile. Genuine smile. And even though her dark soul longed for more twisted torture sometimes, all she really wanted was to have someone who loved her, a family.

Sure. Meet you in ten. - S

…

Aria tried to stop the sweating of her hands as she sat in the crowded place. The Brew reminded her of Ezra but she tried to not go there and tried to calm herself down. Spencer – could she still call her that? - was going to be there any second and she couldn't show any insecurity. She had to act like everything was normal. Should she tell Spencer about Ezra? Was it possible for her to know something? Her thoughts were swirling again and a part of her wished she wasn't alone in all this. She debated telling Hanna, or even Emily and Ali, but she didn't want this to blow over, she needed to be as careful as possible.

“Hey, Aria.” Spencer sat down at their table. Her lips turning into her slight smile and her caramel eyes shining. She looked 100% percent like her friend. She embodied Spencer and a cold shiver ran down Aria's spine at the thought of it. What if she really was Spencer?

“Hey, Spence.”, she smiled but when a waiter approached them, she sent the girl in front of her an apologetic look. “Do you mind if I go ahead and use the bathroom for a sec? Can you order for me, please?”

Spencer nodded quickly. “What do you want?”

“My usual.”, Aria smiled and turned into the direction to the restrooms.

Once inside, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her coffee order was so complicated, not even Hanna or Emily usually remembered it. But Spencer did. She knew by heart. She let out a small sigh and joined Spencer again.

They talked about small stuff, Spencer told her about some problem at the Lost Woods and how she had to call a plumber because there was a leak in one of the restrooms and Aria told her that she had to do some grocery shopping and almost ran into Jenna. The way Spencer talked seemed so natural, so much like Spencer and for a brief moment Aria wondered if she imagined things.

“Hey ladies. I got your coffees. Dry soy cap, unsweetened, no foam?” Aria starred at the waiter for a second and then smiled at him, indicating it was hers. He placed the cup down and placed the other one in front of Spencer. She took a sip and inhaled the strong flavor, still a little surprised that she actually got her usual. There was no way this wasn't Spencer, was there?

“How are you feeling, today?” Spencer asked suddenly and Aria decided to jump in and tell her about Ezra.

“Ezra called.”, she let out and she could see the surprised look on her friend's face.

“He told me to stop calling, that he needed time. He left Rosewood and he is trying to build a new life at this new place. He isn't gonna come home any time soon. I just - ” Aria's closed briefly, and she felt tears building up in her eyes. She squeezed her eyes tightly, forcing them to stay closed for a minute, avoiding to let any tears fall.

Spencer sighed, reaching out her left hand for Aria to grasp. She did and she squeezed it in hers, but she still couldn't feel Spencer's scar and it freaked her out.

“I'm really sorry, Aria. He is an idiot.” She shook her head and tightened her grip on Aria's hand.  
“He doesn't deserve you anyway. He's a fool for leaving you behind and disappearing to New York.”

Aria nodded. “Yeah, you're right. Thank you.”, she smiled and kept her hand in hers.

For a moment the two women looked into each others eyes, both smiling and holding hands. However, Aria just hoped that the other woman didn't notice the way her teeth clenched, the way her heart raced, or the way her hand gripped the coffee cup as tight as she could. She was now completely sure that this person in front of her. was not her friend   
Whether it was Spencer herself or some copy of her, she knew it wasn't the girl that held a big place in her heart.

Because Aria had never mentioned anything about Ezra being in New York, but she had.

…

As soon as Alex left, Spencer looked down at her hands and her eyes stayed locked on her left hand for what felt like eternity. She traced the tiny scar that ranged from her thumb to her index finger. If you looked at it, you could barely see it. But moving her fingers over it, you could clearly feel it. Her heart filled with hope, when she thought of Aria and what Alex had said about her own hands. She had said Aria couldn't stop touching them and while it would normally freak her out that Aria had obviously hold hands with the enemy, a part of her, a big part of her, hoped that Aria had figured out it wasn't Spencer's hand she had touched. She doubted Alex knew about her scar anyway and if Spencer was right, it meant that this was one thing that could tell them apart. 

Aria had held her hand millions of times, had caressed it with soft fingers to comfort her in dark moments and scary times, had squeezed it so tight at times, Spencer thought it would come off. Aria was there the day she had gotten her scar, not leaving her side when Spencer was brought to the hospital after that dog had bitten her, holding her other hand and whispering kind words when they rode in the ambulance. She had called Spencer's parents and had stayed with her the whole time until she was finally sent home. Aria knew about that scar. She knew. And Spencer had never had more hope since she had woken up in that wicked place. There was a part of her, though that filled with worry. She knew her tiny friend was smart but she couldn't help but fear for her safety. She wished she knew what Aria was thinking. Wished she could know what she was trying to do, what she was planning. Hoping she was figuring something out. She wished she could tell her to be careful. She didn't like that she wasn't able to protect her, all she wanted was to keep her safe.

But mostly, she just wished to see her again, have her tiny arms comfort her and not let go. Feel her heartbeat close to hers and hear her laugh and voice. Have her, and Hanna, and Emily, and Ali, all of them, enveloped in a group hug and being able to see all of her friends' beautiful faces. She needed to see Aria again. She had to see her again. “Aria,”, she spoke to no one in particular.  
“Be careful, please.”

\---

 

“Do you want to come back to mine? We could watch a movie or something and order in Chinese later? I could use the company.” Aria asked, a shy smile covering her lips, when inside she was fuming. But she needed that girl to trust her. And something told her this Spencer wanted to spend with Aria. So what better way to get close to her?

“Sure.”, she smiled and they paid for their drinks.

Once back at the apartment, Aria sat her purse down and plopped onto the couch with such an ease, that she was almost feeling proud for being so cool about this whole thing.

“What do you wanna watch?”, she asked her visitor who had just taken off her boots and joined Aria on the couch.

“I don't mind. Whatever makes you forget about your awful day. I still can't believe he had the nerve to call you. If I was there with, I would've given him some shit for doing this to you!”  
Aria looked over. It was brutal how accurate the words came flying out of her mouth, how Spencer-like they were. It almost made her angry. What if this was Spencer? What if the scar was still there, but she just couldn't see or feel it because Spencer had had some weird procedure done that healed it during those weeks she was busy shooting the movie to their book? And if this was really Spencer next to her, what was she on to? Why would she know that Ezra went to New York and why was she acting so weird lately? She would just have to wait and pretend everything was normal, she would get her answers soon enough, she had to.

“What about Mary Poppins? I love that movie.”, Aria asked and the girl on the couch chuckled.

“Sure.”

Aria put in the movie and picked up a blanket from the armchair covering them both. She really did love Mary Poppins and it annoyed her that she couldn't even pay attention to the movie. Her phone vibrated and she looked briefly who was texting her.

Pam got the kids, so it's movie night at Em's and Ali's, wanna join? - H

“Did Hanna text you, too?” Aria turned her eyes to meet the girl's eyes. Shocked how close this form of Spencer had shifted to her.

“Yeah.”, she answered neutrally and the girl smiled softly. “Do you wanna go?”

Aria thought about it for a moment. Maybe this was her chance to get the girls on the same train, but at the time she wondered if it was a good idea for them to spot something. Would they confront Spencer without thinking about consequences if they noticed something was off? Would they just not notice and Aria would lose a big chance to get some answers? Maybe it was better if it was just her and Spencer for that night, and when they met on Sunday, she could still observe all of the girl's interaction with this new side their friend.

“I'm actually pretty tired and not in the mood to move. But go ahead if you want to.” Aria hoped her plan wouldn't get crushed. She was unsure if Spencer was going to get up any second to join their friends, but she didn't seem to move at all.

“I will just say I'm helping out my mum with some open cases.” Spencer smiled and Aria smiled back for a moment. “Okay.” She tried to get comfortable again and sent Hanna a quick text that she couldn't come because she was feeling a little ill.

Okay, hope you feel better soon. Spencer isn't coming either. You're not ditching us, are you? - H

Aria rolled her eyes. For Hanna being the last one to figure things out normally, she was annoyingly curious right now.

No. I just don't want you guys to get sick. I will text you tomorrow. Say hi to the girls. Xx – A

She hoped Aria wouldn't bother anymore and she apologized quickly to Spencer for stopping the movie. She pressed play again and adjusted the blanket a tiny bit, feeling a little cold. Maybe it was just the nerves, she thought.

“You okay?”, she must have noticed the way Aria shifted under the blankets.

“Yeah.” Aria smiled, she could almost feel Spencer's breath on her neck. That was how close she was. A shiver ran down her spine and Aria figured it was because she felt still a little creeped out in this whole situation.

“You're shaking.” Why was she so good at observing?, Aria thought annoyingly. 

“Are you cold?” Aria shrugged her shoulders, not really answering, but soon she felt arms move under the blanket beside her and wrap around her middle. The arms moved her so she was leaning into the other girl and she felt fingers draw small circles on her waist and soon her thighs as well. This was definitely not the Spencer Hastings she had grown up with, Aria thought, having trouble breathing normally as the tingling sensation was not helping her concentrate.

The Spencer Hastings she knew was rather shy when being around someone. She would never make the first move – if it was? Was it? A first move? Was this – does she dare use the word stranger? - trying something? She kept her eyes focused on the TV, willing her heart to stop beating as if she had just run a marathon. The fingers didn't stop and Aria almost let out a squeal when she felt them touch her bare skin just beneath her shirt and a little above her jeans. She turned to the person sitting next to her then, with the intention to say something. However, the second she turned to the brown haired girl, lips smashed onto hers and she couldn't move.

…

She was kissing Aria Montgomery. She was kissing her and Aria wasn't pushing back. Alex noticed that Aria had yet to kiss back, but just as Alex was about to draw her lips back, she felt Aria's arm snatch around her neck, drawing her closer. Alex couldn't believe that this was happening. She had dreamt about this moment for weeks now, but nothing could compare to the softness of Aria's lips on hers and her fingers running through her hair. She slowly slipped her tongue into Aria's mouth and their tongues danced for dominance, Aria gripping onto the hem of Spencer's shirt, and almost aggressively pushing her down onto the sofa. She opened her eyes for a second, surprised when she saw Aria starring back at her, her eyes having changed from a bright green to a dark brown. She felt Aria pushing back slightly and she almost pulled her into her again, already missing the contact and feeling the empty distance between their bodies. 

“Spence?”, Aria breathed out, eyes still shining and it was like someone had just slapped Alex's face. Of course. Even though it was her plan to pretend being Spencer, it still hurt every time her name left Aria's lips. Especially now, when Alex had felt such a deep connection between the two of them. “You're beautiful.”, Alex breathed out, letting emotions take over her mind. Aria smile down at her, pecking her softly and smiling before connecting their lips again, this time more demanding and with a sight of aggression Alex wouldn't have guessed coming from Aria. She liked it though. Loved it, how Aria pulled on her hair and kissed her way down her neck. She was intoxicated with that woman and when Aria swirled her tongue over her shoulder blade, biting it softly, she let out the moan she was holding in since it started.

…

Aria continued to kiss the girl's lips, breaking contact only when it seemed necessary to breath. She had a feeling this girl was into her, and now that she was sure it wasn't Spencer who had initiated that heated make out session, she was even more determined to find out who this person was. She crossed out the idea of a mask, she would have noticed that for sure, but then there was only another explanation left and Aria wasn't really ready to give into it. She looked identical. It wasn't so much her hair or her body that Aria was so surprised about being exactly like Spencer's. It was the way her eyes shone with energy and the way the corners slightly lifted whenever she started into a smile. But now, having her so close in front of her, she could suddenly see the difference. She continued to kiss her neck, but she noticed how the little mole on her cheek was missing, how the color of her eyes was a bit to dark to be the caramel eyes she had looked into so many times. And as she kissed the stranger's lips, she could feel how rough they felt against theirs – so different to Spencer's lips that felt like honey balm. 

To be honest with herself, the last one shouldn't probably count, because the last and only time she felt Spencer's lips was at that party back in Washington, but she was sure they weren't Spencer's anyway. Which why it was so hard to moan Spencer's name softly and pretend to kiss her best friend. It was not that the girl was a bad kisser. Quite the opposite. The way her hands ran up and down her back, her nails scratching it lightly and her kisses being filled with fire – Aria Montgomery had to admit she enjoyed this, but it still didn't take away the weirdness of it all. She had to focus, anyway. This was what was bringing her to her answers. This was what was hopefully leading her to Ezra, what could lead to the real Spencer.

The thought felt like a bucket of cold ice and she almost pushed away the girl that had meanwhile changed positions and was trailing kisses down her stomach now, pushing up her shirt in the process and while she whimpered and moaned slightly, her eyes rolling almost to the back of head she suddenly realized what this meant. If it wasn't Spencer that was currently making her grip her hair with force, it meant that Spencer was out there. This new person had taken over for her and god knew where her best friend was at this exact moment if not – No! - she would feel it in her heart if something happened to her. She was still alive. She had to be. She gripped deeper into the ball of hair that was spread out on her chest. Exhaustion taken over her.

…

“You're in a good mood.”, Spencer observed and she suspiciously looked for any trace of emotion on Alex's face.

“You could say that.”, she said and slipped a tray of food beneath the gap of the door.

“Enjoy.” Spencer was surprised when she saw a tray with different kinds of cheese, some freshly baked buns, some fruit and a coffee coming from under the door.

“What's this? Is this poisoned?” She didn't turn her eyes away from Alex. She didn't trust her, and while she was so hungry she would probably eat some grass right now, she wasn't taking chances. This looked too suspicious to be true.

“Calm down. It's not poisoned. See?”, she slipped her hand through the hole and grabbed a slice of an apple, plopping it into her mouth and pushing the tray further into the room for Spencer to actually reach it, as her foot was still chained to the bed.

“Why?” Spencer wasn't going to leave it at just that. She needed to know what had happened.  
“You wouldn't believe me, if I told you, love.”

“Try me.” She was done playing games with Alex. She wanted some answers.

“Well, I spent the night at Aria's again. But let's just say we weren't too focused on watching Mary Poppins.” Spencer's blood drained from her face and she felt her chest tighten. It made her skin crawl to think about Alex's lips touching Aria, Aria touching her – She felt like she was going to be sick. Shocked she gasped at Alex, lips parted in confusion. Just the night before she felt hope rise inside her, she thought Aria had figured out it wasn't Spencer who had spent those nights close to her. Unless – No! It couldn't be. Aria couldn't know about all of this. She knew she loved Ezra and her too much to not do anything about it. She couldn't bring another thought into her mind.

“Did you sleep with her?”, Spencer's cold voice must have startled Alex because the girl tilt her head slightly, seemingly amused by Spencer's outburst. “I asked you a question!”, she demanded and thought about kicking the tray with the food for a second, but knew she would regret it later, when Alex was gone and the noise that could be heard was her stomach gurgling.

“I didn't. Well, not yet at least. I think we're waiting for the right time.” Spencer was furious, but also a little bit revealed that Aria hadn't gone all the way with that monster. She couldn't help but think about the fact that Aria had in fact at least kissed, if that was what Alex was implying.

“But you kissed her? You kissed and you pretended to me?”, her voice was smaller than she intended. Still feeling shocked and confused as to why Aria would kiss Alex back, kiss her back.

“I wouldn't call it kissing, making out maybe?”, she chuckled. She grew more serious. “And you know, you're not the only one who is happy with this. I would rather have her call Alex, no lies, but I am getting used to the name Spencer anyway, so it's fine.” Spencer felt like she couldn't breath. Alex and Aria had made out? Aria had made out with her sister thinking it was in fact he? She didn't know what she should think about Aria wanting to kiss, to touch her. Those thoughts were buried under years of keeping the secret of that party years ago. No way, would Spencer allow them to crawl back only to have them haunt her.

“Oh, and you were right by the way.”, Alex interrupted Spencer's thoughts and she looked at her confused.

“About that little moan thing. It's adorable.” she winked at Spencer and Spencer's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Alex leaving the underground. 

It was then, when no one else could hear her, that Spencer started crying. Her gut wrenching sobs filling the room and she was sure that even Ezra could hear her weeping all through his side doors. Emotions that been bottled up since she got here finally find their way out and Spencer hugged her knees to her body, swaying back and forth while tears streamed down her face like water cascading from a waterfall. 

She and Ezra would never make it out of that place. Alex would finally win and take over her life. And Aria was going to be played, fooled by this new version of her who seemed to not stop at any point. How could Aria let her kiss her? How could she not notice the missing scar? How could Aria not know it wasn't Spencer's lips that she felt on her body that night? Had she forgotten the way Spencer had kissed Aria's soft skin, whispered into her ear how much she meant to her, how she kissed her earlobe and her nose playfully – feeling happy to experience something new with her best friend? 

She was aware that both of them had made a promise to never talk about it ever again, they had agreed that they didn't feel ashamed, that it was a nice experience but Aria had still clung to Ezra and Spencer herself was still not sure what she was feeling for Toby at that point. She let her head fall back to the wall with a sigh. Alex was going to make Aria fall for her, she was going to make her hers and all Spencer could do was sit in this shitty place and have her mind wander to images she couldn't handle seeing. 

Her sobs had stopped, but silent tears continued to stream down her pale face. Her heart aching in a way it never had before and her thoughts filled with memory of what once was her life. Her heart ached for Aria. She couldn't protect her tiny friend from the evil. And something inside her hurt even more to know she had not only lost Aria as her best friend, but she had lost any chance there was for them. She realized how thoughts of Toby had slowly left her mind, and now all she could think about was Aria. Her delicate hands, her soft skin, her soul-searching eyes. Alex would take anything from her, but taking away Aria somehow hurt more than anything else. It was then that Spencer lost all hope she ever had and wondered if it had been less painful if she had died the night a bullet went through her body. She was right. Hope did breed eternal misery.

TBC


	4. Helping Hands and Cursing Words

Aria was not surprised when she woke up alone in her bed. She had figured that the mysterious girl wouldn’t stay the night. She had never stayed before and while a part of Aria thought that she had left this time because of the previous events and her not wanting to face Aria, Aria also was sure that she hid something that she was trying not to expose. She closed her eyes for a bit, but opened them in an instant when she imagined the mysterious girl's lips on her lips and her hands travelling over the body. She shot up, throwing the covers off of her and ran a sweaty hand through her damp her. She didn't know why she was feeling this way. This was a stranger, she was thinking about, who was probably behind a lot of shit and as Aria had learned throughout the years of games and torture, she was sure the girl was not innocent either. Hell, if this was really somebody else trying to trick her, the real Spencer was still outside. Aria needed to get her shit together and forget about the eyes, the lips, the hands – Stop! - she scowled herself. She had more important things to do than fantasize about a stranger. She sighed and went to take a shower – turning the water down a little more, so the cool water would free her mind.

After the shower, Aria got dressed, took some money out of her nightstand and snatched her purse from the hanger on the door, before exiting the apartment. She glanced at her phone, but didn't see any messages and she briefly wondered if the girl pretending to be Spencer would text or call her to talk about what had happened the night before.  
With heavy thoughts she entered the door to the store, hoping she would be brave and strong enough to go through with her plan. After she got what she needed she left the small shop, she pulled out her phone, dialing a number that she never really had dialed herself and waited for the person to pick up.

“Hello?”, answered a surprised voice and Aria was relieved that it was still the same number.

“Hi, it's Aria.”, she took a deep breath, knowing the person on the other line would be a little confused.

“Aria? What - ?”, before her interlocutor could finish their sentence though, she interrupted the question.

“Listen. I need you to come to this address I'm going to tell you in a few seconds. I need you to meet me there. But I need you to come alone. No one can know about this, okay? Not Hanna, not Emily, not Ali. And do not try to call Spencer. It's important. I need you to promise not to tell anyone.”

“Aria, I don't understand? What do you need me for? What's going on?”

“Please. I know we were never really close but I feel like you're the only one who can help me with this. It's for Spencer.”

“Spencer? What has got Spencer to do with this? Is she okay?”

“Look. I cannot talk about this now. Please, please just believe me that this is important, okay?”

“I – Okay.” Aria heard the other person let out a sigh and she breathed out in relief.

“Okay, do you've got a pen?”

…

“Aren't you going to eat that?”, Ezra asked when looking at Spencer's full plate of what looked like scrambled eggs with some bread and Spencer didn't even look up when he heard his voice. Alex had pulled up the shutter in front of Ezra's cell for the first time in what felt like days and it was no surprised the change in Spencer's form. A few days ago she had been tired, exhausted but there was still hope in her heart that she would be out there some time soon. All that hope seemed to shatter the day before though, and all she could think about was going to have to like this forever.

“Maybe.”, she shrugged, not meeting his eyes. She couldn't tell him what happened. Ezra had been unknowing to almost everything. She hadn't really talked to him since the night he had to make that phone call and had only seen him once or twice when Alex was kind enough so he wouldn't go completely mad in his dark cell.

“We're not going to get right of here, huh?” His voice was a mixture of desperation and anger and all Spencer could do was shake her head. She felt the same desperation raging inside of her, and wished there was a button to end all of this.

“You know, what keeps me from losing my mind from going crazy completely?”, he asked, obviously trying to make conversation. Spencer shrugged, while letting her head rest on her knees.

“Aria. Knowing she is somewhat safe and not in this shit hole is the only thing that keeps me from losing it. Knowing she is alive is what makes me want to stay focused and sane.”

Spencer suddenly bursted into a wave of laughter, unable to control the hysterical snickering coming out of her mouth. “Aria is not safe, Ezra! Alex is watching every step of her way! Waiting for the right moment to seduce her and transform her into someone none of us knows anymore! She is going to rip apart her heart, and break her soul! Aria is not safe, Ezra! She is the target. She is going to break. And we're not going to be there to pick up the pieces! Alex will be. Alex will be there, and the Aria we once knew will never be the same again!” Her cries echoed through the room, startling Ezra, who sat down with his head in his hands and Spencer felt a tiny bit of guilt building up when she looked at his crumpled form. However, it was not helping to sugarcoat this. This was serious. Things weren't okay and the sooner they accepted that, the sooner they could try to let go.

…

Alex was still in a daze about what had happened the night before when she was making her way downstairs. The way Aria's body moved in sync with her own and the look she gave her when they parted – it was all Alex could think about. She hoped Aria wasn't freaked out but when they kissed, she didn't feel like Aria was pushing back. Hopefully, though, it wasn't just Aria trying to forget Ezra and using her as a rebound, but she had a feeling that Aria had liked the way she dominated their kisses and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She still could feel the small woman shivering against her, and she knew it had been a genuine reaction. As soon as she got things done in the underground, she would call Aria to have her talk about their night and hopefully things would go further with them. She could hear the whispering voice somewhere inside her head telling her that it was in fact Spencer that Aria seemed to like kissing. That Aria would be falling for Spencer, her best friend who she had known for years instead of Alex, but Alex hoped that somewhere down the road, when they would be in a happy place where nothing could take them apart, Alex would perhaps tell Aria all of it. And because of years that would have had passed, and milestones that would have been made – Aria would forgive her and she could be with the love of her life for the rest of theirs. But then again, she kind of liked to be Spencer, so maybe she wouldn't tell her at all.

"What's wrong with you two?", Alex asked when she noticed the tense atmosphere and her gaze shifted from Spencer's to Ezra's and back to Spencer's.

"I serve you the best food in town, which is outstanding by the way, and all you two ungrateful dickheads do is starring into space. You really are weirdos, you American folk."

She saw Spencer still focusing on the white wall in front of her, her back turned to her twin sister and her head dropped slightly.

"Are you alright, darling? Do you need me to go in there?", her tone was light and if you didn't know it better you wouldn't think of it being only a sarcastic comment.

"Don't.", she heard Spencer's firm voice and Alex wondered what made her so pissed off but guessed it was still the fact she got Aria to make out with her the night before.

"I think we need a little privacy here. See you soon, Ezra.", she chuckled and Ezra's shutter rolled down. She noticed that he didn't even fight it anymore and looked at Spender again.

"You know, I could really use your advice on this one. Sisterly advice, I mean." Spencer still didn't acknowledge her but she continued anyway.   
"I was thinking about wearing that cute white shirt and the dark blue skirt you have? Aria likes that outfit, doesn't she? And since you don't really own too much lingerie, I thought about getting some. Which color do you think she would prefer? Classic? Like Black? Or something more seducing - like red maybe? I could always go with - "

"Stop!", Spencer screamed at her, having covered her ears, still not facing Alex.

"You're a mean sister you know. No wonder Cece and Melissa never really loved you. You're just a little spoiled, selfish brat, aren't you?"

When Spencer still didn't make an attempt to say something, Alex got frustrated. She hated when people ignored her. It was driving her crazy.

"Talk to me!" Her voice harsh and she pulled out her control pad. For the first time in days she wanted to punish Spencer for being such an ungrateful bitch. She had treated her well, had made her stay pleasant - but Spencer didn't worship it one bit and Alex grew tired of it. 

"No food, no drinks, no light - for one Day. 24 hours. You've got no one else to blame this on than yourself. See you tomorrow - and I expect you to be a lot more responsive then!"

She pressed a few buttons and the shutter covered Spencer's cell, the lights went off in her cell as well and Alex left the dungeon, Spencer still hadn't moved a limp or spoken a word. 

...

"So why did you want to meet me here?", sat the person who sat in front of Aria. The park was empty, and Aria hoped that there wasn't anyone spying on them. Ever since the dollhouse she and the others had grown a little more paranoid than normal, but then again they had every right to. Still, out of Rosewood felt a little more safe.

"I had to make sure no one saw us. I think there is something going. Something big. But I can't deal with it on my own anymore and I promised myself not tu hurt the girls ever again. I am not going to be responsible for any more damage and if I am right in this. I don't want them involved. Things have finally calmed down and I don't need for it to escalate again." 

"Aria, I know you're going through some weird stuff right now but talking with cryptic words is not gonna help. I need you to tell me what's wrong, so I can help."

It was true. She needed to explain what was happening. But how could you explain something not even you could understand?

"I know. I am sorry. It's just. This is big. And I don't know how to say it."

"Are you pregnant?"

Aria's eyes widened and she rolled her eyes.

"No! I'm not pregnant! Why would I hide being pregnant from my friends?"

"I just thought - with you and Ezra and him not showing up at - forget what I said. See? That's why you should start talking."

"I don't think Spencer is Spencer."  
It was all she said for a long time and confusion took over the other person's face.

"Is this some sick joke?"

"No, it's not a joke! I am serious right now! Look. Spencer has this scar. We were kids and she got it when this dog bit her and it's tiny but you can feel it if you know it's there and the other night when I was comforting what I thought was Spencer there was no scar."

"Maybe you just couldn't feel it?" Even though she wanted to roll her eyes again, it calmed her nerves that her words weren't being ignored and that she was actually listened to. It helped her deal with this a little better and made her realize she chose the right person for this.

“Trust me, please. It's not Spencer. It's not.”, she let out a frustrated sigh and was close to a break down, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“I believe you. I believe you, okay? Just calm down a little, please.”

Aria nodded firmly, blinking a few times and tried to hold it together. “Okay. I'm fine. Promise.”

“Good.”, the other person nodded. “Now, tell me what I need to do.”

…


	5. Undercover

"Listen, do you think that all this stuff is really necessary?"

"Caleb, please. Just trust me with this, okay?", Aria pleaded.

"God, Aria. If Hanna finds out about this, it's going to be brutal! I told her no more secrets! Why couldn't you have just asked Toby?", Aria had a feeling Caleb didn't really mean it but it still stung a little.

"I don't know. I guess I felt weird since I haven't talked to him in like forever, maybe?! Plus, you know this stuff better than anyone.", with that said her gaze moved to the surveillance equipment and the computer that had a dozens of open files up. Her plan of exposing this mysterious girl had to go smoothly, if she wanted a chance to find out where her best friend really was.

"Well, Toby could have definitely gotten those handcuffs a lot easier, and getting these wasn't as easy as it may seem, too. So this plan better work." Caleb grumped with a small grin and handed Aria a few pairs of handcuffs and what looked like a bottle filled with little pills, as well as some small surveillance cameras that were no bigger than a penny.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I am. I have to try. And if this is going to lead me to Spencer, and Ezra, eventually, this will be worth it. That girl knows something." Aria grabbed her bag from the floor, put the things Caleb had given her inside and took her keys.

"Alright. Call me when you get things done and I will drive right to your place, okay?" Aria nodded, feeling nervous all of the sudden and a little scared as she fumbled with her phone in her hands, a message, that she had received just moments earlier, still showing up on her home screen.

I agree that we need to talk, but please don't worry. I will be there around 7. See you soon. x - S

"Aria? Come on, it's already 6.15, you have to get going if you want to be ready to face her." Caleb's voice had softened and Aria turned to leave the apartment.

"You're right. See you later then."

"Wait!", he called out before she was out of the door and she turned slightly.

"Be careful, okay? Please." She nodded with a smile and left the room.

...

It was still dark and Spencer felt the exhaustion heavily on her whole self. For a moment, a thought of regret crossed her and she imagined herself eating the French cheese and the scrambled eggs. Her body shook with tiredness and hunger and her throat felt dry. She wasn't even sure how much time had passed as she could not even see her own hands in the dark. She barely slept and when she woke up to the darkness she felt trapped. It was true what people said, how darkness had a silly way of making you feel powerless and lonely. Spencer was already freaked out by her pitch-black surroundings and she had long ago given up on counting the seconds she has spent without a dim of light. Being alone, only having her own mind to distract her from the fear of the unknowing, Spencer let her thoughts wander to places again that were supposed to be hidden far in the back of her head, and that were dangerously coming through the surface. She let thoughts of Aria cloud her aching mind and the imagination of her face surround her. She pictured Aria being there with her, holding her and keeping her from breaking fully. She had always thought Toby Cavanaugh was her place to land, her safe haven, but she questioned if it was ever true. It was not that he didn't was there for her or tried to pick up her broken self when she felt overwhelmed with everything that was happening around her. It was more that tiny voice back in her mind telling her that while Toby had been there for her, so had been Aria but somehow, she had never worshiped it enough. She had taken her humble friend for granted, convinced that she would be there - always.  
And now that she did know. Now that she realized that Aria has helped her through so much of it all, without even realizing it, she felt terrified when she thought of possibly losing her forever.

...

Can we talk about last night? Do you want to come over? - Ar

Alex smiled and typed in a response quickly. She was excited to see Aria again and she hoped that she and her would would take their relationship to the next level, somewhere deeper than friendship. She debated to let Spencer have a drink for the special occasion but decided against it as she needed for Spencer to understand what would happen if she didn't obey to her rules. Sometimes she got tired of the secretes, and wanted nothing more than to live a happy life with Aria. The thought about putting an end to all of this with two single gun shots, to each head had entered her mind more than once - the only thing preventing her from doing it being the image of Aria's devastated and tear strained face.

She looked around Spencer's wardrobe, deciding what to wear and a vicious smile grazed her lips when she looked at the red laced bra and a matching thong that were reflecting through the mirror. Pleased with herself she threw on a nice black shirt of Spencer's and a pair of skinny jeans. She figured a dress was too much, and she didn't want to confuse Aria, as Alex had to keep up with her facade. She put on some make up and felt ready to conquer Aria Montgomery's heart.

…

Aria heard the door bell ring and prepared herself for what was to come. She shifted in her tight jeans and smoothed out her strapless top. She knew her plan had to work out and she tried not to think of what would happen if she failed. She pictured the real Spencer cheering her on, and thought of seeing her face again. That alone, made her brave to open the door.

“Aria.”, the girl breathed out and Aria smirked inside, knowing she was right to put on something more classy than her pajamas.

“Hey.”, she smiled and stepped shyly to the side to let her pass and come inside.

“Do you want a drink?”, Aria offered and received a nod. “Water?”, the girl asked and Aria smiled, disappearing into the kitchen and coming back with two glasses of iced tea.

“So?”, both Aria and the girl started and once again she was shocked how much she behaved like Spencer. Aria and Spencer had always been in sync, but sharing this with someone who only looked like her friend was scary.

“I don't know what to say.”, and Aria did mean it. She didn't know what was going on and while she tried to forget about the night, images still popped up before her eyes and she felt nervous talking to this mysterious person.

“I want you to know that I don't regret this. Any of it.” Aria looked up then, and the girls eyes shone with what Aria could only place as honesty. How could those eyes sparkle and shine and light up the room, when Aria knew that behind them lay a secret so dark her and her friends weren't prepared for.

“I don't either.”, Aria let out, following her plan.

Silence took over, until the other girl spoke once more.

“Can I ask you a question?” She seemed nervous and bit her lip and Aria almost thought it was cute, before she pushed those thoughts out of her mind.

“Of course, Spence.” Never had Spencer's name left such a sour taste in her mouth before, but she needed to play by her own rules. Don't get caught, Aria.

Spencer's double scooted closer then, brushing a hand lightly over Aria's cheek, and Aria's eyes instinctively closed.

“Can I kiss you again?”, and her voice sounded so soft, Aria might have just said yes on any other occasion as well.

“Yes.”, she breathed out and felt anticipation build up inside her. She knew she shouldn't feel this way. Her body just took over her mind and she couldn't do anything to stop it. In her head, a small voice tried to tell to focus, told her that she was only supposed to pretend that she wanted this. But as soon as lips claimed her own, she let her hands find their way around the other girl's neck and she tightened her grip, needing to feel closer. She knew wanting this was wrong on so many levels. She knew. And yet, somehow, this felt good. It might have not felt right, but it did make her feel extremely turned on, and a small part of her hated that.

“Aria.”, she heard her name being called and pushed back, only slightly, so she could see into the other girl's eyes. They weren't Spencer's eyes she trusted in with everything in her, but they still held a fire that Aria had never seen before. Bringing herself back to reality, she tried to compose herself and started playing along again.

“Spence.”, the words still leaving a weird taste in her mouth, but it made her remember her best friend that was currently missing and this girl seemed to be the only key to some answers.

“I like you.” To say she was surprised to hear those words would be a lie. She figured it would lead up to something like this, to be honest with herself, Aria had a feeling this girl would play with her in a similar way she played too. However, what made Aria look up into the girl's eyes and made her lips part slightly, was the sincerity behind those words. Aria had always been kind of good at reading people. She was the best liar of their little group, even her friends thought so, so it was easier for her to spot someone who was not telling the truth. But Aria couldn't find anything else than pure honesty behind the girl's words and she wasn't sure why this affected her, but it did.

“I like you, too.”, she didn't say Spencer's name then. As it didn't seem right to bring her into all of this. This right there, was a battle between Aria and this girl, and at the same time, she felt like Spencer didn't belong into this moment. Just this one time.

“I am sorry, Aria. To have made a move on you like this, so bold, when I know you're still healing over what Ezra did and I just – I understand if - “, Aria cut her off, pressing her lips lightly agains hers and set in for a slow kiss. So slow, it drove her almost mad. This was different than any other kiss she had shared with her. This was Aria giving herself away more than she should, this was her letting herself fall, and by the time she realized that, it was too late.

…

It drove Alex crazy how delicately Aria's lips moved in sync with hers, how her touches were small and caring. In this moment she let everything around her go blank. Alex forgot about her shitty past, about her bickering twin sister and about Ezra. She let herself fall into a state of passion, something she had never knew could feel so right. She let her fingers caress Aria's face, her body, softly, as to not breaking her small frame, and it surprised her that the urge to be aggressive and bold had left her completely. Alex thought about the times she had been with those English boys from school, the times she had let boys kiss her in bathroom stalls in dirty pubs in London, the times she had been with Wren and thought that she was in love. This was different. She didn't want to rush this. She didn't want for this to be over. Ever. So when she softly brushed her hands over Aria's shirt, stopping at the bottom of it, and slowly, as to ask permission, let her cool hands slip under Aria's shirt and feel her hot skin, she kissed the small girl's cheek in a caring way and only continued when she felt Aria nod against her shoulder, her lips gracing her neck.

“You're so beautiful.”, Alex mumbled when she pulled up Aria's shirt with ease and she planted soft kisses on Aria's stomach, feeling Aria's hands in her hair.

“Please.”, she heard Aria whisper. And that was all that Alex needed as she continued to plant kisses on Aria's skin, making her way down her body, before given in completely.

…

Aria's head clouded with a million thoughts that were running through her mind. She enjoyed the kisses, the touch, but as the girl reached for her jeans, pulling them down, and gracing her fingers over Aria's underwear, she knew she had to stop this before things got out of hand. It was not that she didn't wonder what would happen if she let things go to far, and a tiny part of her – a part she felt almost ashamed of – did want to find out. But she couldn't do that. She couldn't do this to Ezra, and she couldn't to this to her best friend. This girl had taken over Spencer's life, and if Aria let herself give in and sleep with her, she knew she would never forgive herself if she had in fact hurt her friend. She tried not to think about what condition Spencer might be in, and grabbed the girl's hand, that was slowly pushing down Aria's underwear, in her own.

“Spence”, she called out, nervous and a little scared the girl would just leave Aria alone and her plan would burn into ashes.

“Aria?”, her voice was soft though and it gave Aria the courage to speak out her next words.

“Can we just – please? I don't know if I am ready for this. I'm sorry if I -”, her sentence was silenced with a peck on her lips and she felt the other girl's hand leave her lower half of her body and instead she felt that same hand caressing her cheek tenderly.

“Of course.”, the other girl smiled and kissed Aria's cheek. Aria placed her own hand over the one on her cheek and she gave her a thankful look.  
“Do you want to sleep?”, she heard the other girl say and Aria nodded.

“Yeah. But I do want some water before that.”, she was glad that her voice did sound a little raspy and she heard the girl chuckle.

“Okay. I will get you some.”, she felt another kiss being dropped on her lips, but just as the girl made a move to get out of bed, Aria flipped them over, kissing the girl beneath her slightly and moving a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind the girl's ear. “No. I will get it.”, she planted another kiss on the girl's cheek. “You relax, okay? You want some water, too, Spence?”, she got up and turned and the girl smiled. “Yes, please. But hurry. It's cold when you're not in here.” Aria let out a genuine laugh at that and nodded, making her way into the kitchen.

She took two glasses out of the cupboard, filling them both with water. Then she looked around as to be sure no one saw her and opened a kitchen drawer, taking out the bottle of pills Caleb had given her earlier that day, and plopping two pills into the palm of her hands. She held the pills for a moment, looking down at them and sighing when she let them hesitatingly sink into one of the glasses. She felt something heavy in her heart at the thought of giving them to the girl that was lying in her bed now, but she swore to herself not to back out of this. She reminded herself of Ezra's smile and Spencer's face and gripped the glasses tightly, making her way into the bedroom again.

“There you are. I missed you.”, she felt warm for a moment, leaning down and kissing the girl's hair, handing her the glass that was in her left hand.

“I'm here, silly.”, Aria said and sat down on the bed. Both girls drank the cold water, feeling relaxed as their dry mouths came in contact with the cool water

Aria settled into bed, drawing the girl next to her a little closer and adjusted the blanket so they both were tucked in.

"I'm sleepy", she heard her small voice and Aria smiled. She knew the pills started to make an effect and she hoped Caleb was right that she would be out for some time and that she would wake up after around 12 hours.   
"Sleep well.", Aria whispered, pressed a single kiss on the girl's forehead and felt her snuggling closer, resting her head in the curve of Aria's neck.

For what felt like hours but were in fact only minutes, Aria laid there unmoving. When she came to the conclusion that enough had passed, she looked over the sleeping girl, shaking her lightly - the girl didn't respond in any way. Caleb had told her to shake her and even lightly slap her at one point as they had to be sure that she was in fact tranquilized.  
When the girl didn't even stir after Aria lightly slapped her cheek, she rolled over and got out of bed, looking for her phone. 

"She is sleeping.", she whispered into the phone, her gaze still on the sleeping form.

"Put the cameras on.", she as he told her and put the small cameras in action, the red light blinking in the dark room.

"Okay, done", she whispered again. The girl had still not moved, but Aria grew nervous as she felt like she would wake up any minute.

"Good. I see her. Get the handcuffs now and place two around both her wrists and then another pair around her ankles on the end of the bed."

She felt weird handcuffing her to the bed, and at any other time she would have probably laughed about the picture in front of her, because it felt a little like "shades of grey", but this was serious so she swallowed her chuckle and finished the work, but not before whispering "sorry", as quietly as possible. She knew Caleb couldn't really hear her, as there were no microphones placed around her apartment, but she whispered anyway.

"Done."

"Good work.", Caleb complimented her. "I'm on my way now. Stay there."

"Okay", she reassured him and hang up the phone. She sat at the end of the bed, listened to the claiming breathing that filled the room and waited for Caleb to arrive.

...

"Aria?", she heard Caleb when he entered the dim room and she turned to greet him.

"Hey. I didn't switch on the lights because I feared that might wake her up."

"Well, if the pills work right, she shouldn't." He switched on the lights, and Aria saw how his eyes travelled to the sleeping girl. She saw the startled look on his face and could imagine what he was thinking about.

"She looks like her." It was an understatement. Really. She didn't just looked like her. She was the almost identical copy of Spencer Hastings, and she had mastered her behavior and speech to a overwhelming degree as well.

"She does.", agreed Aria, but the longer she spend time with her the more obvious it was that she was actually completely different than Spencer Hastings as well.


	6. Saved

“Here - you check out her phone and the rest of her purse, I will try to track down her bank card to see what she's been up to.”

“She doesn't have any weird phone calls on this one, it's just us girls she's contacted and Spencer's mum. There has to be another phone. This one is just Spencer's.” Aria sighed, she needed something better than this. She took the purse and began to search for some more stuff.

“All these credit cards are labeled as Spencer Hastings. No leads to a double life. She must have thought about this.”

“Wait.”, Aria called out. “What's this?”, she handed Caleb what looked like a remote control and gaped at him confused.

“I don't know. It seems like some sort of control pad. Hand me the phone over. I'm going to see if I can trace back some locations.”

After a few minutes, Caleb spoke again.

“Do you know this address?”, he showed her a location in Rosewood that seemed not to far away and Aria regarded at the street name.

“I'm not sure, but the street name sounds familiar. Wait! That's the street name Toby built that house for Spencer in!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! But why would this girl go there every day?”

Caleb shrugged. “We should find out. She's probably hiding something there.”

“Okay.”, and with that Aria grabbed her coat and her own purse, turning towards the door.

“Wait, Aria. What do we do with this one? We can't just leave her here?”

“Stay.”, she told him. “I got this.”

“No way! You're not going to check this place out alone!”

“Caleb, I'll be fine okay? I'm just going to have a look. I will take her purse okay? Maybe there is a key or something.”, she pushed inside the control pad as well, and her own phone and her own purse in case she needed some money.

“Maybe I should go and you should stay?”

“No.”, she replied firmly. “You shouldn't even be enveloped in this in the first place. Hanna will kill me if she finds out I put you in danger! You've got your - “, she didn't continue. She watched the sleeping girl, hoping she would stay asleep for a while longer.

“Gun?”, he carefully asked and she nodded tentatively.

“Yes. Okay. I've mine, too. Just, don't hurt her, okay? Please.” Aria didn't know where this was coming from, but she knew she couldn't handle it if something happened to her before she could talk to her, really talk to her.

“I - “, Aria noticed how lost at words Caleb was, so she just looked at him pleadingly, until he reluctantly gave in. “Okay. I promise to be careful.”

Aria, accepting his answer, gave him a small smile, waving a goodbye, and sprinting out of the door towards her car.

It was no lie that she was scared. She didn't know what to expect at the house, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to.

When she finally arrived, it appeared to be normal. She moved further to the property, crossing the front yard and she stood in front of the door for a minute. She rang the bell, waiting if someone was going to answer and when no one responded, she tried to open it, but failed. She fumbled in the girl's purse and was relieved when she did in fact find a set of keys, and breathed out a sigh of relief when one of them fit. Turning around the door knob carefully, she scanned around the room and shouted out “Hello?”, but nobody seemed to be home. Roaming through the rooms, she couldn't find anything odd about the place, but once she looked closer she could see that price tags still hung on the furniture and that it all resembled Spencer's house. The furniture, the paintings on the wall.

“Spencer?”, she called out, but once again she was welcomed with silence.

After what felt like forever, she finally found something suspicious in the storage room. She hoped her instincts were right, and was a little bit surprised when it was in fact a slide door that opened instantly when Aria pushed it aside.

“Hello?”, she shouted out again, but nothing happened. She removed her gun slowly from the retainer around her waist and held it carefully in both hands, not wanting to risk anything. She was creeped out by the long halls and couldn't understand what was happening around her. After turning into different alleys, running through halls and shouting out Spencer's name she was about to give up. She stood in one of the hallways. Her breathing had slowed down a little bit, but she was still exhausted from running. She looked at her phone. She had been in this place for over an hour, and she was sure Caleb had probably tried to call her more than a few times, but being under ground there was no chance of having signal. She banged hard on one of the steal walls, letting it vibrate for a minute, and if she wasn't so furious she might have complained about the pain in her hand. 

A minute later however, she felt the wall vibrate again. But that wasn't her. She put her hands on the wall, feeling the vibration all over again.

“Hello?”, she shouted. “Is someone there?”

The vibration started again, and Aria's eyes went wide. She looked around the room, thinking someone might have came in. Suddenly, the vibration stopped.

“Spencer?” But there was no vibration in reply.

“Is someone there?” Aria felt the vibration again against her palms, and took a step back. She was sure now that someone was trapped behind the steal walls, but if it wasn't Spencer - who was? Unless? Oh god!, she thought and closed her eyes.

“Ezra?”, she shouted out. She screamed his name, hoping he would hear her, and suddenly she felt the wall vibrate again again, hearing muffled voices. Aria was sure, he was probably trying to shout out to her, too. She turned around the room, scanning it for a moment and tried to think of a way to get Ezra out.

“I'm getting you out. I'm going to get you out.”, she promised.

That's when Aria remembered the control pad. She put the gun back into the retainer and searched in the girl's purse until she finally found it, fumbling with it, and pressing a few buttons. Then she pressed the big red button in the middle, hoping nothing would explode, like it happened in movies. However, she could make out a door opening at the end of the hall, and she sprinted towards it.

Once the door was open, she gained sight inside of it and was shocked and a little relieved when she saw what looked like a control room in front of her. She started the computer and wished Caleb was there with her, because he was so much better at this stuff then she was. However, she got to open a plan of the house, zooming in and out, until finally she found the hall she was currently in and saw how there were two descriptions on each side of the wall: Cell A, Cell B  
Her eyes widened and she clicked on the first one. A small window opened and she could press roll-up and open. She did as stated and turned around, but when she noticed it was actually the wall in front of it she was about to close it again, when suddenly she heard someone sobbing quietly. She pressed for the other cell to open quickly, feeling relieved when she saw the other wall was now lifting as well. She then sprinted to the cell, where she heard the sobbing from, curious to who was held captive with Ezra, already guessing the answer.

That's when she saw her. Aria didn't notice for a moment how Ezra had shouted out to her, the only thing she saw was Spencer's body slumped down on the floor in front of the single bed, her head resting on her knees buried in her hands, while she was rocking back and forth.

“Aria!”, she heard Ezra yell again and she turned around quickly. She saw the chain on his ankle and moved quickly inside the open cell.  
When she reached him, his eyes shone with love. Aria smiled, tears welling up in her eyes, and she hugged him close. It was then that Ezra tried to kiss her. However, Aria turned slightly, his lips landing on her cheek instead of her lips and he seemed hurt. She didn't want him to be so disappointed, but she felt overwhelmed with the situation and the previous events were still a heavy weight she carried with her. She sighed apologetically and kissed Ezra's forehead, whipping his sweaty hair and caressing his face, noticing a healing wound on his head and she worried for a second of him being hurt.  
Her worries were calmed, when she felt his hand on her cheek, guiding her face so they were now face to face.  
“Hi.”, she whispered then and even though she was never more grateful and happy to see him, something inside her wouldn't let her get closer to him.  
“Hi.”, he smiled, and this time he caught her out of guard and succeeded in claiming her lips with his own. Aria let him kiss her for a while, finding comfort in his embrace, and feeling like it was the right thing to do. But somehow images of Alex and Spencer clouded her mind, and she stopped the kiss.  
Her eyes grew wide. Spencer. She needed to get Spencer out, too.  
“Spencer.”, she let out, pecking him out of habit on the lips and searched for the keys in her purse. She was glad when the chains opened and Ezra was free.  
Before she could run to Spencer's cell though, Ezra lifted her up and spun her around for a while, obviously happy that he had finally been saved, but the second Aria touched the ground, she sprinted over to the other cell.  
“Spence?” She let herself in, signaling for Ezra to wait outside the cell for her, handing him her gun just in case someone came in and he nodded. Aria was glad he respected her friendship with Spencer enough to know not to intrude.

Spencer still hadn't looked up, nor had she acknowledged Aria's presence and Aria was beginning to worry that something was seriously wrong with her. She knelt before her best friend. Slowly, trying not to scare her, she placed a hand on one of Spencer's that held her head in place. The contact made something inside of Spencer snap and she suddenly moved her hands to look up, looking scared for a second until her eyes met Aria's.

…

“Spencer?”, she heard her name being called. She hated how her mind played tricks on her. It sounded so much like Aria's voice, but Spencer knew it was only part of her imaginations. They hadn't stopped and somehow it was always Aria, who would sit with her in her cell, trying to cheer her up, trying to give her hope. She couldn't remember the last time she had a drink, or something to eat, and she felt like more than 24 had passed. Her body felt weak and it shook with exhaustion and dehydration. Spencer knew she needed water and the dark was driving her crazy as well. Suddenly though, she felt a hand reach hers, and it felt so real that she was startled by the touch and jolted up. When she opened her eyes, the brightness of the room made her eyes burn, but it all seemed to vanish when she met eyes with the one person she had been dreaming about.

“Aria?”, she breathed out. Her voice raspy, her lips dry. Not sure if she was really there, or if her mind was still playing tricks on her.

“I'm here.”, she heard her say and suddenly tiny arms wrapped around her tall, but slim frame and she felt a kind of warmth that was impossible to imagine. She shook in her friend’s arms. Not believing that it was really Aria who held her and whispered words of comforts into her ear. Her own arms wrapped slowly around her best friend, feeling the need to touch her. She didn't know how Aria had found them, she didn't know what happened to Alex, or how Aria had managed to save them, but for once her hyperactive brain didn't care. All she cared about, was that she was finally back in her best friend's arms and that she felt safe.

“I'm so glad I found you.”, she heard Aria whisper, and it had never felt so good to hear Aria's soft voice. She felt Aria plant a kiss on her forehead and sighed out in relief.  
“Me too.”, she managed to say, she was still shaking in Aria's arms, but felt a small shift, as Aria grabbed the purse that was next to her. Aria must have heard how raspy her voice had sounded. Spencer smiled grateful when Aria handed her the bottle of water, and Spencer was about to drink all of it, when suddenly Aria reached for the bottle, and for just a moment Spencer was scared to be punished, feeling like she did something wrong. Aria must have noticed her tensing up, because Spencer felt Aria's hands rubbing softly down her arms. She looked up into Aria's eyes, that resembled nothing but worry and love, and saw how Aria's head tilted slightly into the direction of Ezra. She heard Aria call out his name, and saw him moving towards the cell. She felt Aria's arms tighten around her, when her body began to shake again. Out of the corner of her eye, she observed Aria handing Ezra the bottle.

“We should get her out of here.”, he whispered and she saw Aria nod. She was too exhausted to complain, when she felt strong arms lift her up. She knew it wasn't Aria, but she knew Ezra was the only one who could carry her out of this place. She felt a tiny hand wrap around hers, as they moved across the hall, knowing it was Aria who wanted to give her comfort. She smiled at the thought, smiled at the thought of Aria being there with her. She wanted to say something, she wanted to thank her for saving her, wanted to say so much more, but exhaustion took over and for the first time since she had been locked in, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

…

“What happened to her?”, Aria couldn't move her gaze from her resting best friend. She wondered why Ezra was still so strong, why he wasn't completely shattered and worn out like Spencer, but seemed almost unaffected by all of this.

“There is so much to talk about, Aria. But I don't think now is the time for all of this.” Aria heard him sigh, and she decided to leave it like that and wait until Spencer was feeling better again.

They finally reached the car and Ezra placed Aria's sleeping best friend carefully onto the back seats. He turned around to face her then, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her close. He kissed the top of her head, and for a moment she let herself fall into his embrace. “I missed you.”, he whispered and a lonely tear fell from Aria's eyes as she remembered the heartbreak and the anger she had been through. “I did too.”, she answered, and moved out of his arms. “I'm really glad that you're okay Ezra”, she said, kissing his cheek, and moving into the driver's seat, ignoring Ezra's protests when he told her he could drive and Aria could sit with Spencer in the back seat. She wished she could, but she wasn't quite sure which state Ezra was in, so she thought it was safer to drive herself.

They drove in silence, as neither could think of a good way to start a conversation. Aria concluded that Ezra must have noticed something in the way she behaved around him. She didn't want to hurt him. It was the last thing she wanted to do. But so much had happened while he was away. She had tried to move on from him when she thought he wouldn't be coming back. There were things that happened, he didn't know about. There were feelings and emotions not even she could understand. She couldn't just jump back into place with him. They would talk later, but right in this moment, she would just thank God and the Universe that him and Spencer were safe. After all, that was all that mattered to her.  
She continued to drive, checking on Spencer's sleeping form every now and then through her rearview mirror, and letting out a tiny sigh of reveal that she was finally resting. She knew things would boil up again once they reached the apartment, but right now she wanted to enjoy the peace that surrounded her just a little longer.

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you guys think. Feedback is much appreciated! Thank you for reading.


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